Pro Lube Oil Change & Tune Up

On [redacted] 2015, I had my oil changed at Prolube Auto Center. Prior to leaving, the technician told me that I may see some fluid leaking from the bottom of my car because they spilled some oil. I parked my car immediately after having the oil changed and did not drive it again until the next day. Prior to driving it, I looked under my vehicle and noticed two spots of fluid on the ground where there had been none before. After driving my vehicle, I returned and parked it in a different spot to see if the fluid was continuing to leak. On [redacted] I again noticed two new spots of fluid under my vehicle. Concerned that there was an issue, I brought my vehicle to my mechanic. He lifted the vehicle and immediately noticed large amounts of grease leaking from both front axle boots. He then states that the only way that could happen to both boots at the same time was if someone pushed the boots back from the axle, tearing them and causing the massive leaks. The tech at Prolube made no mention of such leaks when he reported to me that my coolant was low and if I wanted it topped off. All he said was that I would probably see some fluids leaking from the bottom of my car because they spilled oil. It's my belief that he pushed the boots back, causing the leak, and used the excuse of spilled oil to cover his tracks. It should be noted that my mechanic found no signs of spilled oil on my engine to account for his explanation. On [redacted] I went immediately to Prolube to report the problem. They lifted the vehicle, say the fluid dripping from the axles and the denied any responsibility. I recently had shoulder surgery and only drive my vehicle under 5 miles per day. My mechanic states there was no possible way for both boots to be pushed back and torn with driving that little. I seek to file a complaint against Prolube as it will now cost me hundreds of dollars to repair the damages they clearly caused.Desired SettlementI wish for Prolube to pay for the cost to repair the damages to my vehicle that they caused.Business Response This is in response to customer complaint dated 05/06/2015. We are sorry to hear that the customer was dissatisfied with our service. When she returned to our shop my manager took her in right away to investigate her complaint. The car was put on a lift and our ASE certified master automotive technician inspected the car. He found the inboard front drive axle CV boots seeping grease. The boots were torn and seeping grease. This is what we would consider a normal condition for 6 year old car with 104,735 miles and CV drive axles in the front. These joints are packed with grease for lubrication. Grease is a paste like lubricant and does not drip like oil or coolant. We informed the customer of possible oil drips because the oil filter is in a tight location and is sometimes difficult to remove cleanly. Our lube technicians wiped the area clean and mentioned this to her a precaution so if she saw a drip she would not be alarmed. When we inspected the vehicle on her return we noted no oil leaks or drips. We have pictures of all of this which are available on request. We have serviced this car 6 times dating back to 03/04/2013. The average annual miles of this vehicle are over 19,000 miles. This is above the national average of 12,000 / year. As to the customers claim that the CV boots were pushed back we have two issues. The first being it is virtually impossible to move the boot with the clamps attached (we have photos). These clamps are installed by machine and are very tight. The photos we have do not support the claim they were pushed back. The second point is what the customer is claiming is that we vandalized her car. This makes no sense to us. We've serviced her car six times in two years. We asked the customer for the contact information for her mechanic so we could discuss his or her reasoning for the diagnosis presented to us by the customer. She refused to provide us with this contact information. We work very hard to satisfy our customers. This is a very difficult business to be in. We are not perfect, no one is. When we make a mistake we step up to the plate and make it right. It's rare that we cant satisfy a customer. What we are being accused of here is vandalism and that is simply not true. We would like to work with this customer for a good outcome but, we feel her demand that we pay for her repairs is unreasonable.Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)First of all, they never asked for the contact information for my mechanic. I would have gladly supplied it as he will likely be the one making the repairs. Second, the manager was completely dismissive of me and stated that they would do nothing to resolve the issue. He stated that they would never touch the boots, but is now claiming that they "wiped the area" as a result of the leaking oil. To me, that sounds like an admission of guilt and that they are now trying to justify the damages they caused. I never accused them of vandalism. Had I felt that they had vandalized my vehicle, I would have filed criminal charges for malicious destruction of property. I don't feel that is the case, however. I believe the tech screwed up and tried to cover his mistakes. I would also like to state that I maintain my vehicle in such a manner that it IS IN FACT still operating without issue even with 104,000+ miles on it. I have regular oil changes, maintenance and make repairs as soon as they are needed. Had I noticed the fluids on the ground under my car before I had the oil change, I likely would have asked them to take a look at it and fix whatever needed to be fixed. Now, I don't trust them to even change my oil and will no longer do business with them if they continue to deny responsibility. Thank youBusiness Response We are sorry to hear your response. When you refer to wiping up oil we wiped it off the engine, oil filter housing and drain plug area. We have photos of these areas and there is no oil. We had no reason to touch the CV boots as they have nothing to do with and oil change. CV boots are made of rubber and are a normal wear and tear item, they commonly fail any time after 80,000 miles. We replace lots of them here. In the interest of customer satisfaction we are willing to replace the front axles at our shop for the cost of parts only. We will supply labor for free. This offer is good for 30 days. This is not an admission of guilt but rather an attempt to end this matter in a reasonable way.Final Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)I agree to the resolution as long as there is zero out of pocket expenses on my part and that they include a warranty on all the work they do. Thank youFinal Business Response We stand by our original offer of customer paying for parts and we providing free installation at our location. That is our final offer.